Doyle has stated that he is uncomfortable being described as an "Africa expert", noting in 1998:

"The little I have learnt about this place makes me realise that I am very ignorant about it. It's a vast continent with huge differences between even neighbouring countries. Like anywhere, it's full of ordinary people just getting on with their personal, complicated lives. Anyone who claims to be an 'expert' on Africa - as if it were a homogeneous region where simple rules apply - is either arrogant or just plain silly."[2]